Mapping system with mobile communication terminals for measuring environmental sound

Abstract

Environmental sound is captured and mapped. Application of a large number of mobile communication terminals embodied as a data supplier leads to extensive, automatic and continual mapping of environmental sound. For sites that are visited relatively frequently and by a plurality of subscribers, a relatively large quantity of remotely transmitted data records for the environmental sound is obtained informally, which permits a more precise depiction of the environmental noise. Commercially available mobile communication terminals may be augmented using simple measures in order to communicate with a central or local mapping system or mapping service directly or indirectly.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A mobile communication terminal for measuring environmental sound, the mobile communication terminal comprising:
 an interface to an electroacoustic sound transducer for recording the environmental sound; 
 a position finding unit configured to determine a position of the mobile communication terminal and to output a corresponding position datum; 
 a control unit configured to:
 receive at least one recording of the environmental sound; 
 compute a sound level value for the at least one recording; 
 create a data record for the at least one recording, wherein the data record comprises at least one sound level value and a position datum at a time of the recording of the environmental sound; 
 evaluate data from a position sensor of the mobile communication terminal; and 
 mark the data record when a present location of the mobile communication terminal does not correspond to a location identified for transmission of the data record; and 
 
 a transmission unit configured to remotely transmit the data record. 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile communication terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the data record further comprises the time or a time period of the recording of the environmental sound. 
     
     
       3. The mobile communication terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the data record further comprises frequency characteristics of the environmental sound. 
     
     
       4. The mobile communication terminal of  claim 3 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 evaluate the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound; and 
 mark the data record when the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound do not correspond to a type of the environmental sound for the transmission of the data record. 
 
     
     
       5. The mobile communication terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 evaluate the sound level value of the environmental sound; and 
 mark the data record when the evaluated sound level value of the environmental sound does not correspond to a type of the environmental sound for the transmission of the data record. 
 
     
     
       6. The mobile communication terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the interface to the electroacoustic sound transducer is set up for a communication link to a communication-terminal-external device, the communication-terminal-external device comprising the electroacoustic sound transducer. 
     
     
       7. The mobile communication terminal of  claim 2 , wherein the data record further comprises frequency characteristics of the environmental sound. 
     
     
       8. The mobile communication terminal of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 evaluate the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound; and 
 mark the data record when the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound do not correspond to a type of the environmental sound for the transmission of the data record. 
 
     
     
       9. A mobile communication terminal for measuring environmental sound, the mobile communication terminal comprising:
 an interface to an electroacoustic sound transducer for recording the environmental sound; 
 a position finding unit configured to determine a position of the mobile communication terminal and to output a corresponding position datum; 
 a control unit configured to:
 receive at least one recording of the environmental sound; 
 compute a sound level value for the at least one recording; 
 create a data record for the at least one recording, wherein the data record comprises at least one sound level value and a position datum at a time of the recording of the environmental sound, and frequency characteristics of the environmental sound; 
 evaluate the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound; 
 evaluate data from a position sensor of the mobile communication terminal; 
 mark the data record when the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound do not correspond to a type of the environmental sound for transmission of the data record; and 
 mark the data record when a present location of the mobile communication terminal does not correspond to a location identified for the transmission of the data record; and 
 
 a transmission unit configured to remotely transmit the data record. 
 
     
     
       10. A mapping system comprising:
 an interface to a plurality of mobile communication terminals, a mobile communication terminal of the plurality of mobile communication terminals comprising:
 an interface to an electroacoustic sound transducer, wherein the electroacoustic sound transducer is configured to record an environmental sound; 
 a position finding unit configured to determine a position of the mobile communication terminal and to output a corresponding position datum; 
 a control unit configured to receive at least one recording of the environmental sound, to compute a sound level value for the at least one recording, to create a data record for the at least one recording, to evaluate data from a position sensor of the mobile communication terminal, and to mark the data record when a present location of the mobile communication terminal does not correspond to a location identified for transmission of the data record, wherein the data record comprises at least one sound level value and a position datum at a time of the recording of the environmental sound; and 
 
 a transmission unit configured to remotely transmit the data record; and 
 a processing unit configured to associate at least one remotely transmitted data record with geocoordinates on a digital map. 
 
     
     
       11. The mapping system of  claim 10 , wherein the data record further comprises the time or a time period of the recording of the environmental sound. 
     
     
       12. The mapping system of  claim 10 , wherein the data record further comprises frequency characteristics of the environmental sound. 
     
     
       13. The mapping system of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 evaluate the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound; and 
 mark the data record when the frequency characteristics of the environmental sound do not correspond to a type of the environmental sound for the transmission of the data record. 
 
     
     
       14. The mapping system of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 evaluate the sound level value of the environmental sound; and 
 mark the data record when the evaluated sound level value of the environmental sound does not correspond to a type of the environmental sound for the transmission of the data record. 
 
     
     
       15. The mapping system of  claim 10 , wherein the interface to the electroacoustic sound transducer is set up for a communication link to a communication-terminal-external device, the communication-terminal-external device comprising the electroacoustic sound transducer.